Finding a good tailor is like finding a good hairdresser – once you find them you never want to give them up. At Gibson’s we’re lucky to have an experienced seamstress and tailoring team with over 40 years of experience. When it comes to alterations services like repairs, tapering, patching, and zipper replacements, here are our top tips for finding a good seamstress in Toronto.

Years of Experience

When it comes to tailoring, the more experience the better. All fabric is not cut from the same cloth (literally), so it takes an experienced professional to understand how different designs and fabrics should be properly repaired or altered. When searching for a tailor, schedule a quick call to ask them if they’ve worked with a variety of fabrics, styles, brands, and body types. At Gibson’s, we have a seamstress who is  experienced in altering and repairing all kinds of fabrics (silk, cashmere, and lace) and repairing garments from brands like Canada Goose, Prada, Theory and more.

Turn Around Time

Before choosing a tailor, ask them how long it will take for your items to be returned. Gibson’s sewing studio completes minor repairs within 24 hours and hemming and lengthening jobs within two days. Tapering or restructuring services should always take more time – about one week. Be weary when a tailor says they can finish a complex alterations service in a day’s time. It’s likely they are rushing the job or skipping steps in the process. Good things do take time, after all.

Reviews and Word of Mouth

In today’s world, you can find everything you need to know on Google. Before selecting a tailor, check out their Google Reviews to get a better understanding of their reputation and online presence. Gibson’s is lucky to have over 200 reviews and a 4.8 rating from our valued customers. Google uses keywords to categorize main themes in a business’s review history which can be a helpful tool when searching for alterations or tailoring as keywords. If you’re not convinced by the Google Reviews or the tailor has no online presence (red flag), ask for a customer referral. If they’re proud of their work and customer base, they should be willing to provide to a testimonial.

Additional Service Offerings

It’s always a bonus when you can access more than one service at a business at once. Selecting a tailor who is working at a dry cleaner or cobbler is helpful when you need to access other services. Gibson’s sewing studio is located inside our main dry cleaning facility which empowers our customers to drop off their dry cleaning, rugs, alterations, and household items all in one trip. Gibson’s also offers free minor repairs, so no items will be returned with cracked buttons or minor tears. Our pick-up and delivery dry cleaning customers also use our alterations services by simply pinning their garments at home and putting a note in their laundry bag.  Time is precious, why not spend it doing the things you love to do.

Hopefully these tips have helped to inform you in your seamstress search. We wish you the best of luck!